Hudson has lived as a woman all her adult life and has gone through six years of gender reconstruction surgery.

A campaign against the decision to house her at the men-only prison received the support of thousands of people and received media attention worldwide.

In Bristol Crown Court on Friday, Hudson's barrister said that she found life at HMP Bristol very tough.

He told the Court that Hudson is separated from the rest of the prison population and is locked in a cell 23 hours a day.

Hudson has eight previous convictions including offences for battery.

The victim of the assault for which she is now imprisoned, Mr Dyer, needed £1,500 worth of dental surgery following the attack carried out by Hudson in a bar on Boxing Day.

Hudson's mother Jackie Brooklyn (48) said there was nothing masculine about her daughter.

"Nobody would know the difference," she was reported as saying.

"She looks like a woman. She's gorgeous."

A petition calling for Hudson to be transferred to a female prison received widespread support and contains 150,000 signatures.

It said: "We, the undersigned, stand with Tara and her family and believe that this decision is in breach of her human rights, and places her in extreme danger of abuse, sexual violence, and even death."

Approximately 30 demonstrators gathered outside the court in Bristol on Friday, waving placards with slogans such as "trans lives matter" and the hashtag #iseetara.

Campaigners and some politicians said Hudson's case illustrated the need for a re-think on transgender prisoners.

Amnesty's sexual orientation and gender identity advisor said that trans women placed in all-male prisons are at a greater risk of physical or sexual abuse.

"Trans inmates must absolutely not be placed with detainees where violence is a high probability.

"The police need to ensure that transgender individuals are placed in facilities appropriate for their gender identity, and that they are not further marginalised while in detention," the spokeswoman said.